We had the great honor of participating in a backpack giveaway hosted by Isaiah Thomas, Tacoma native and point guard for NBA’s Boston Celtics.

It was held at the Boys & Girls Club in Tacoma on August 29^th, 2015. I remember my kids complaining that they didn’t want to get out of their pj’s and go out on a windy, chilly day to “just get backpacks and school supplies.” But once I got them there, they saw the value of such an experience and they had a blast.

What they quickly realized was that it’s just as important to receive gifts as it is to give them. The generosity of Isaiah and his sponsors was a beautiful gift to the community that raised him. It showed all the kids that dreams can come true with hard work and the importance of giving back when you can.

The whole event was fun with free food and drinks, games with prizes, and a “whip” contest! All of the families left happy for their time spent there and all the school kids left with a cool new backpack loaded with all the school essentials.

It was touching to see my kids go from: “this is going to be so lame” to saying “Thank you, Isaiah, for the backpacks and supplies” with true gratitude for the gift.

I hope Mr. Thomas knows the positive influence he makes on kids and how he set in motion a goal for me; to give back in all I do.

Thank you Isaiah Thomas!